GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25833, 18 June 1949, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By “MILES")

Exodus of Boxers Professional boxers who have earned some fame in Australia have found New » Zealand rings tne happy hunting grounds when matches are scarce in Sydney and Melbourne. Many have become dissatisfied with the few contests they are given and others with the small purses. The welter-weights, Harry Hayes and Micky Tollis, with the light-weight, Ken Bailey, have followed Dave Sands to England, and ( the aborigine, Jack Hassen, is likely to go overseas unless he is given a title bout. It is unusual for an amateur boxer to come to New Zealand locking for fights 1 just because there is no one in Australia willing to meet him. This is the position with Graham Higham, who gave such a polished exhibition of boxing against Maurice Tate, New Zealand middle-weight champion, at the Civic Theatre this week. This well set up 20-year-old, who represented Australia at the Olympic Games > and for four years has held the Australian middle-weight championship, has not had a fight in his own country for 16 months. His trainer, Jack O’Brien, told the writer last week that Higham was just too good for any amateur in Australia and, because of the scarcity of contests, has come to New Zealand for more experience before turning to the professional ranks. If Higham could be assured of a professional licence he would probably remain in New Zealand, where his services would be in demand. There is an obstacle, however, to this move. Higham, like every other Australian Olympic competitor, is under a bond of £5OO to the Olympic Council to remain an amateur for two years. He has had several good offers to fight as a professional in Australia, but because of his bond he has been unable to accept them. Higham would be a welcome addition to the ranks of New Zealand amateurs or professionals. He has put on a few pounds weight and has gone into the light-heavy class. It seems a pity that such a good performer should be debarred from boxing as an amateur because he is too good, and from becoming a professional because of his Olympic Council bond.

New Spirit in British Golf “The victory of S. M. M’Cready in the final of th 6 British Amateur Championship played at Portmarnoek last month was a fitting end to a week in which British golfers did more to re-establish themselves than at any other time since the war,” says the golf correspondent of the "Glasgow Herald.” “The manner in which M’Cready stood up to blow after blow from the American, W. P. Turnesa, and then came back to win by 2 and 1 was a tribute to his great fighting heart and an earnest, I hope, of a new spirit in British golf." He continues to say that M Cready’s excellent scoring in the final together with his victory over the holder. F. R. Stranahan (U.S.), confirms the impression that he is the finest discovery in British golf since James Bruen. It was further suggested that the Walker Cup match might not be the walk-over for America that everyone had feared. Reverse for All Blacks The defeat of the All Blacks last Wednesday by Border by a try and two penalty goals to nil need not be taken too seriously, for if ever an unbalanced back team was put in the field this was the one. With Delamore at five-eighths and Boggs at centre tlfe All Black selectors must have taken the Border team as one which might provide an exercise canter. With Goddard and Elvidge on the injured list the logical choice for centre was Meates. who before going to Otago last year - always played in one of the inside positions. Few expected the team to go through without a defeat. The scrum-work still appears to present difficulties and the New Zealand Rugby Union is probably now sorry that “Vic" Cavanagh was not sent away as assist-ant-manager and coach, although even the Otago coach could not have had the counter for the number of"injuries received by players. Women’s Hockey With the first round of the women s senior A hockey competition completed, there appears every prospect of a most exciting finish for championship honours. Technical and Selwyn lead with 5J points, Christchurch West running next with 5 points, ahead of Carlton 4 and Aranui 3J. Digby’s 3, with Hornby and Rawhiti at the bottom of the list with a point end half a point. For representative teams the following selectors have been appointed:—senior A grade: Mesdam - -s J. Armstrong, G. Iggo, and E. M. Milts. Senior A reserve grade: Mesdames M. Mackie, F. H. Muirson, C. V. Walter. Senior B grade: Mesdames E Pearce, R. J. Richards, A. Timlin. South Island Soccer Team The South Island team to play the North Island at Auckland on June 25 is:—J. Glen, captain (Ctago); M. Dean (Canterbury), R. Ferguson (Otago); A. McAntilty (Canterbury), A. Ma on (Otago), J. White (Canterbury), J. Gordon (Canterbury), R. Wilson (Canteroury), G. Smith (Canterbury), R. Payne (Otago), R. Dowker (Canterbury). Reserve: A. Laffey (Canterbury). Both Island teams were picked on the form shown at the trophy lournamen at Christchurch, and the selection o' seven Canterbury men in the South side does not suggest that the re.ms.n.atioi is over big. Canterbury won the series sc convincingly that the whole s.v-e. wn. r perhaps one omission, might wed hav» been chosen to wear the white jersey The advantage of this would be that the essential cohesion of the side would b< retained.. However, Otago playe-s have been added to each department, and these men must be now fitted into' the existing combination .to preserve its full strength either on attack or defence. Of lhe Otago men three showed encouraging form at the tournament, and the fourth, Mason, could not travel on account of injiiries. Mason i an English pleyei and has built up a fine record in Otago Soccer, so as far as experience is con cerned generally shou’d be strong enough to meet the steady though scarcely brilliant challenge lively to oe i put up by the North Island men. ! Smaller Ball Advocated

D. R. Jardine, who will be remembered as the best, yet the most unpopular, captain of an English cricket team in Australia, in a letter to "The Times”

iLondon) suggests the adoption of the small ball normally in use at preparatory schools, or one midway between that and the present-day full-size ball. "Cricket has always needed definite results to keep, let alone increase, its popular appeal, and I would once again urge the small, or smaller, ball as the solution best calculated to achieve such results with, the minimum of active alteration to the game as it exists,” writes Jardine. “Anyone at all qualified can easily prove for himself that the smaller ball would turn the bowler into the artist most of us would like him to be—instead of the hack he so often becomes. Finally, the rising generation would benefit in one particular oft'n overlooked, and that is the large number of boy bowlers spoilt by having to change from the small to tne large ball at an age when neither their physique in general nor their hands in particular are up to the change.” Big Golf Programme for 1950-51 Next season will probably be the biggest in Canterbury’s golfing history. At least four major tournaments are proposed, with the possibility of several others. The open championship meeting will definitely be held, and it is proposed to play the tournament at Shirley. The Christchurch branch of the Returned Services’ Association also proposes to run a Dominion championship meeting later in the season. It has not been decided yet what form it will take, but it is expected that several courses will be used in the early stages. The Canterbury Licensed Victuallers’ Association also intends to run a major Dominion championship meeting for amateurs and professionals for attractive trophies and prize-money, probably on similar lines to the annual Victory tournament in Auckland. A Canterbury Centennial tournament, to be conducted by tire provincial a sociation, is tentatively arranged for March, 1951. The prize-money lor this meeting will also be attractive, and it is hoped that overseas players will compete.

All Blacks’ Scoring The All Black full-back, R. W. h. Scott, who has played three matches since the team landed in South Africa, is the highest scorer after five matches of the tour have been played. He has scored JO points, made up of two penalty goals and two conversions. All the points were scored in the first two games. J. C. Kearney, who has scored two tries and potted a field goal, is second with nine points, and the auxiliary full-back, J. W. Goddard, has scored six points from three conversions, all in one match. Otners to score a try each are P. Henderson. W. A. Meates. M. P. Goddard. N. H. Thornton. L. A. Grant, J. McNab, and H. F. Frazer. The team has scored 46 points and 29 have been scored against it. Boxer of Promise Bernard Shaw, aged 17, son of a wellknown heavy-weight of 30 years ago, Jean Shaw, showed himself one of the most promising young boxers Canterbury has produced when he outfought the West Coaster, Vernon Tuck, at the Civic Theatre last Monday. Shaw, a southpaw, has mojft things that go to make a boxer-fighter and though he has still a bit to learn, he appears to have the right ling temperament for a successful career. ! It will be a pity if he advances too quickly, for good as they are when young, few 1 of his age can be expected to mix it I with matured men. A good two-handed I fighter, Shaw occasionally offends against I the Marquess of Queensberry rules when !he rips in a left that goes perilously close to below the belt. Twice in his last contest he repeated a fault that cost him dearly in at least one bout last year. Under the guidance of such an experienced old warrior as Jean Shaw, young Bernard looks like going a long way.

New Zealand’s Best? Whatever doubts New Zealanders may have from time to time about the standard of their country’s cricket, there will be few who will not agree that in Jack Covie the Dominion has produced one of the finest bowlers seen in test cricket. It is nearly 17 years since Cowie made his initial appearance in first-class cricket, and long ago he established himself as an outstanding performer in Plunket Shield matches. It seems, however, that the greater the occasion the greater the man, for Cowie’s record in test matches is even better than his figures for representative games would suggest. On the 1937 tour he took four for 118 and two, for 49, fpur for 73 and six for 67, three for 73 and none for 15, in the three tests played. In 1946, against Australia, he took six for 40. A year later, against England, his figures were six for 83. and in the recent test he took five for 127. “Wisden” described him as the outstanding player in 1937, and his performance in the second test (10 for 140) as “masterly.” In the six tests in which he has played, Cowie has accounted for 36 of the 65 wickets which fell to New Zealand, bowlers. His full figures are: 233.5 overs, 48 maidens, 645 runs, 36 wickets; his average being 17.95. These figures compare favourably with those of any other bowler of any other country in tests, and Cowie must rank as one of the greatest of all time. Sport in the Soviet

A leading article in “Izvestia,” the Moscow newspaper, says that physical culture must be so developed in Russia that Russian ath’etes will soon be able to capture all world records. Sport is not being developed enough, the paper complained, and it outlines a plan for bringing another 2,000,090 people into organised activities. More than 200 national sports contests will be held this year. “Indifference, inefficiency, and improper devotion in this field will not be tolerated,” it said. Recovery

Brun Smith’s many. friends in Christchurch must have found his succession of failures hi the early matches of the New Zealanders’ tour of England anything but encouraging, but his performances in recent matches have been in sharp contrast. When the match agaisnt Sussex ended (the eighth game of the tour), Brun had scored a total of 130 runs at an average of 16.25, a doleful story for a man chosen for his batting. - A 93 against Somerset looked better, and after that came scores of .70 and 41 against Glamorgan. An eleventh-hour choice for the first test. Brun kept in form, and made 96 and 54 not out. In the first innings of the Hampshire match he contributed 23 in quick time, so that his aggregate, in four games, has gone from 130 to 509, and his average from 16 to 39.